Sleuth 04/11/11

Sleuth is a sideways glance at the city every week, it's the truth, but Sleuth's truth. We give £25 for every story/rumour and piece of absurdity you find for us to print. Sleuth sometimes even gets serious. We ask for the money back if any legal action follows.Follow Sleuth on twitter@Sleuth

Sleuth's TGI Fridays Row

TGI Fridays is opening in the Royal Exchange early in the New Year. It will be trading on the Cross Street side of the building. There's a planning row going on about whether the brash signage will clash with the elegant Royal Exchange stone facade. You decide - the image at the top of this page shows what it will look like. Sleuth thinks its fine. It'll add a dash of colour to the street there. Give the place a bit of life.

Sleuth The Editor Of Michelin Guides And A Lady From Wisconsin

Sleuth was trying to find an image for Rebecca Burr on the internet. She's the editor of the Michelin UK guide and London Confidential had interviewed her (click here). Of course being an incognito food reviewer she wanted her image to remain a mystery. Sleuth thought he'd have a Sleuth around and found this woman, but doesn't think it's the Ms Burr he was after: http://www.modelmayhem.com/94339

Sleuth, Snails, 63 Degrees And A Remarkable Story

Snail heavenSleuth had a look-see at the new French restaurant, 63 Degrees, on Church Street this week. He was impressed. The editor will have a full review up by Monday. The snails were absolutely gorgeous, earthy with beautiful parsley sauce and lovely crunchy spuds.

The story of the Moreau family is interesting too. The manager, Alex Moreau, moved to the city when his Manc girlfriend returned home. He worked for the previous tenant of the 63 Degrees site, the ill-fated Simple at the Light.

When that closed and recognising the rubbishy nature of Cafe Rouge and the good, but expensive nature of The French at the Midland, he spotted a gap in the market. So he talked to his dad, Eric, who has worked in two star Michelin restaurants in France. The result was that Eric and his wife Florence (Alex's mum) moved out of their suburban Parisian house and bought a place in Chorlton. Wow, that's doing it properly thinks Sleuth. Let's hope we can have a second French Eric making a mark in Manchester.

Sir Richard Leese and the truth behind the ‘shedload’ censorship

After the well-reported confusion with American broadcasters this week (click here) Sir Richard Leese has confirmed to Sleuth that Manchester will make ‘shitloads’ of money from fining motorists who aren’t aware that Sunday parking on Manchester streets isn't free anymore.

Metrolink's New Small Carnivore Passes Prove A Success

Sleuth's Worst Definition Of 'Long Haul'

Confidential put up an article about the response of the two Manchester Cathedrals to St Paul's Cathedral closing its doors due to the protest camp outside. The anti-capitalist protesters there seem set to stay for many months. Representatives of Manchester's version in the Peace Gardens at the back of the Town Hall told Confidential (click here) they were "in for the long haul". “I have no intention of leaving,” one of them called Keith said, “If we can create a utopia, why would I want to leave?" He's left now - utopia lasted just a couple of weeks.

Sleuth And Dame Nancy Rothwell And The Isle Of White

Dame Nancy RothwellSleuth was present at Confidential's Big Interview with Dame Nancy Rothwell - the vice-chancellor of the University of Manchester. The interview goes up on Monday. She explained that the massive £30m debt crisis the institution had suffered from had been made to vanish largely through selling off land and properties that were no longer required. Later, Sleuth was chatting this over in a pub when his friend had a eureka moment. "That how we should solve the national debt crisis, we should sell a bit of Britain off. What about the the Isle of White? It's got great access, lovely properties and we really don't need it," he suggested. Sleuth's been leaving messages on the Downing Street voicemail ever since. This is a goer.

Sleuth, Halloween, And Horror

Sleuth was scaring people under the city in the dark during the Confidential Halloween tours. He was mid-story and it was pitch-black in the deep undercroft where he was stood with 30 people. It was tense, everybody knew something terrifying was coming. Sleuth was distracted though, "Is somebody ringing a bell?" he asked. Silence. "I can still hear it," said Sleuth.

A very small female voice came from the group, "When I’m scared I ring my little angel bell," she said. "A what?" asked Sleuth. "A little bell shaped like an angel, it helps me calm down when I ring it," she said.

"Ringing your little angel bell sounds like a euphemism to me," said Sleuth, before continuing to a conclusion of pure terror - at the end of which all anyone could hear was the woman frantically ringing her little angel bell.

Sleuth's Lies To Tell Tourists

The Trafford Centre is a 'pop-up shopping centre' in a 'crazy stylee'. It's just a bit of fun.

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Yes, it's wonderful people are being fined for parking on the streets. Another money-making ruse where our dear Council forgot to listen to what people wanted. The sooner we get an elected figurehead the better ;)

I wondered whether it was just a ploy to make them think that they were selling the Isle Of Wight but actually selling them the Isle Of White, like the (apocryphal) story about the American buying London Bridge when he was expecting Tower Bridge.

AnonymousNovember 4th 2011.

I think Sleuth must have spent too much time slouched in the Press Club if he thinks the Vegas-style shopfront is just fine. This same approach has been used by one of Manchester 'premium' hotels to add some sparkle and colour to Brittania's boring old listed stone-built warehouse on Portland St. I'm sure TGI Friday's will be every bit as classy as that institution.

The revised plans are better (intriguingly they appear to have been drawn on the same date as the previous plans) but they don't come with any covering letter or explanatory notes confirming they supersede the original, so any planning permission must specify drawing 38C only.

You think the Britannia is a 'premium' hotel? mmmmmm They already have their Christmas tree up. Nuff said.

And it's not stone-built; few of our ex-cotton warehouses are, it's front facade and sides stone-clad. The bits you aren't meant to easily see are utilitarian brick (some are even glazed round the back).

I've no particular fondness for the Isle of Wight, but surely selling London off would be a better cash-cow. Besides, the Houses of Parliament and its inhabitants have already been well and truly bought by multinational corporations and the banking fraternity.

David. Sleuth has a big picture of Manchester in his head not a tiny little parochial one. So is Westminster Abbey in London? It's not in the City of London but it's certainly in London - if you see what I mean. Salford Cathedral is in the bigger idea of Manchester

David in CheshireNovember 8th 2011.

Oh sure, it wasn't a very serious complaint, but I honestly did sit here wondering for about 30 seconds where the other cathedral might be.

I think it was a matter of phrasing and capitalisaion. The "two Manchester Cathedrals". I probably wouldn't have reacted to "the two cathedrals in Manchester". I would probably have a similar response to "the three Manchester Universities" (or whatever number there may now be), since there's only the one.

David in CheshireNovember 9th 2011.

Indeed, and it wasn't terribly serious, but I did wonder for 30 seconds where the other "Manchester Cathedral" might be. The other cathedral in Manchester would probably not have triggered my confusion.

Voice of the Ironing BroadNovember 4th 2011.

Small comfort for all of those who lost their jobs because of the University deficit. It wasn't a deficit after all. Perhaps some of those resources could go into the pension fund ....which now has a deficit

Hmmm, the system won't let me reply to my own post, so I'll continue here.

I wasn't being terribly serious in my comment about Salford Cathedral, but I think it was triggered by the use of "Manchester Cathedrals". "The two cathedrals in Manchester" would probably have passed straight through what passes for my brain.